It wasn't until surfer Scott Stephens punched the shark on the side of its head that it relented and let go, seconds after biting him and pulling him underwater near Eureka, Calif.

Stephens sat upright at a hospital press conference Wednesday, smiling and joking as he recounted the harrowing attack that landed him in the hospital a day earlier.

With family and doctors in attendance, the 25-year-old Manila resident and avid surfer told reporters that he was lucky to be around to talk about the incident. A group of surfers rushed to his aid after he made it to shore.

The attack, which happened off the North Jetty around noon, left Stephens with seven or eight deep lacerations, surgeon John Van Speybroeck said. The wounds did not reach any vital organs or his abdominal cavity, leaving Stephens with less a serious -- but painful -- recovery.